


Flowers blooming under tenderness

by listenforthelove



Series: Rokuban High [4]
Category: Kingdom Hearts, No. 6 - Asano Atsuko
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Crossover Pairings, F/F, Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, girls that deserve better than what canon gave them, side soriku and nezushi but srsly don't come here for those
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-14 11:43:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7169636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/listenforthelove/pseuds/listenforthelove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Safu ends up in a different class from Shion for the first time ever since they enrolled into school. It might not be such a bad thing however, as one of the new transfer students cheerfully claims the seat next to her. And given some time, maybe a little more than that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> This is possibly _the_ most self-indulgent thing I have ever written, and that is saying something. Oops.  
>  I was looking for inspiration for Crackship day during No. 6 week two years ago, went to my No. 6/Kingdom Hearts crossover like 'oh hey I could just throw Safu and Kairi together and call it a day' and did just that.  
> ....... It was supposed to be a one-off joke I swear.
> 
> I tried to squeeze all my ideas for them into one fic, but I can't promise I'm 100% done with them yet, hohum. This is my fic for June 12, so happy birthday to Safu!  
> Technically taking place in my No. 6 high school AU, aside from the fact where it doesn't match that timeline at ALL, so eh, this is probably AU for THAT. Oh dear.

Safu idly clicked her pen as she pondered the sheet in front of her. The research topic wasn’t the problem; she’d already thought of several she could use. Instead, the second line above the form was the one giving her trouble.

It was the first year Shion was no longer in her class, and Safu realized all the more just how little time she had spent with her other classmates. She had made efforts before, trying to expand her social circle a bit. It had mostly been in vain, which Safu didn’t necessarily mind, but it did leave her without a project partner. Most of her classmates thought her strange, and although they weren’t outright bullying her, she couldn’t say any of them were her friends, either.

Contemplating whether she could come up with enough arguments to convince their teacher to let her do the assignment alone, Safu didn’t notice someone else put a bag on the desk next to hers until it was too late.

“Hi there! Is this seat taken?”

Safu looked up and was met with a pair of sparkling blue eyes. It was only after blinking a couple of times that she could look beyond those eyes and see the girl that was hovering over the desk. _Transfer student,_ her brain helpfully supplied. There had been no less than three of them in Safu’s grade this year, two boys and a girl. Though she didn’t speak to her other classmates that much, Safu’s memory surely was good enough to remember this was a new face.

“I suppose it is now,” Safu answered the question posed to her. It was the literal answer to the literal question, after all.

She was half expecting to get a sneer in return as she was used to by now, but the other girl just smiled. “Ah, I guess I should have asked first and dumped my bag later, huh. Do you mind if I sit here, anyway?”

“I – don’t mind,” Safu said, slightly taken aback. Even Shion wasn’t this direct with her.

“Oh, good. Hey, do you have a partner for this project yet? Since you’re sitting here alone and all. Not to assume anything, of course!” The girl held up her hands defensively. “Just that everyone is seated together by now.”

“My usual partner isn’t in my class this year,” Safu replied, “I haven’t found a substitute for him yet, so no, to answer your question.”

“Oh.” The girl shoved her bag aside so she could sit down on the empty chair, lean on the desk. “We’re in the same boat, then. I’m in a group of three, but I drew the short stick this time.”

Safu blinked in confusion. “Short stick?”

“Yep. The two of them got in the same class while I got here alone,” the girl brightly said. It wasn’t entirely clear whether she had realized Safu genuinely didn’t understand her turn of phrase, but she was grateful the girl bothered to explain herself anyway. “I mean, not that it’s such a rare occurrence that I can’t work with them, but with a new class and all, I don’t really know anyone else yet who wants to team up with me.”

“So you approach a stranger?”

“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet,” the girl cheerfully replied, chuckling to herself. “That’s what Sora always says anyway. Seems to work fine for him, but he could probably still befriend an angry bear on an off day.”

“Sora?”

“Childhood friend.” The girl’s smile changed a little, growing more subtle and fond. “So, Safu, you didn’t answer my question.”

“I did,” Safu replied, “I said I didn’t have a partner yet. You know my name?”

“Of course, you’re the class rep! Or do you want formal introductions?” She bowed her head. “My name is Kairi, it’s nice to meet you. Please look after me, class representative Safu.”

Safu was speechless for a second, entirely unaccustomed to being approached in such a way. She did suspect Kairi was joking, but it didn’t seem to be at her expense. “Please look after me too, Kairi.”

It was a good thing most of the class was discussing their project with their partner already, for Kairi’s answering laughter wasn’t very subdued. “So, Safu, the question I meant to ask was whether you wanted to be my partner for this project. You know, since you just told me you don’t have a partner yet either.”

It was a question Safu hadn’t been expecting even if she might have hoped for it. “Yes,” she said without hesitation. Perhaps this Kairi wasn’t a good partner, but she needed one for this project and this girl was offering. Besides, she was – interesting. A brighter presence than most of her other classmates, standing out with her short red hair and her cheerful air.

Kairi’s smile brightened again. “Really? Great! Did you have a topic yet? I had some ideas, but I can roll with whatever you had in mind.”


	2. Project

Kairi cheerfully hummed to herself as she threw her bag over her shoulder at the end of the school day, waiting for Sora and Riku to show up. All in all, it hadn’t been a bad day. Transferring to a different school had definitely seemed a little daunting, but her only point of reference had been kindergarten. This time, she wasn’t even alone. Thanks to their old high school closing down, she got to transfer together with Sora and Riku. A much better deal than ‘your grandmother can’t take care of you anymore, please move in with this distant relative you hardly know’. The fact that she was the odd one out in their usual trio was a small price to pay.  

Especially since, well, Kairi’d never really had a hard time making friends on her own. Her project partner sure was interesting to say the least, and it’d be nice to get to know her better.

“Kairi!”

Two figures now showed up in the distance, one running in the front and enthusiastically waving and calling her name. His silhouette with a head full of spikes alone was enough to betray who it was.

“Sora, Riku!” Kairi waved back and waited for her two friends to reach her. “That took a while. Did you end up joining any clubs?”

“Sora went through all the sports clubs and has yet to make up his mind,” Riku reported, sounding both exasperated and fond at once.

“Hey, they all looked cool!” Sora glared at Riku for a quick moment before directing his attention back to Kairi, beaming with his smile firmly in place. “How about you?”

“I think I’ll choose something later. Maybe something with arts.”

“You should go for it! You’re great at that,” Sora said. The compliment came so quickly and effortlessly that from almost anyone else, it would have sounded insincere.

Kairi just smiled in response. “We’ll see. Ready to go home?”

“Ehm, actually.” Riku shuffled. “Sora and I had planned to work on the project today. Of course you can still join us, but…”

Kairi waved her hand. “No, it’s fine, I get it, that would just be confusing since we’re working on different topics. Good luck!” She tried her best to keep her smile, she really _didn’t_ mind. She knew Sora and Riku cared for her, that they didn’t mean to exclude her.

It didn’t mean she particularly enjoyed not spending time with them, however.

 

Kairi had unwittingly given herself a new seat assignment after plopping down next to Safu the day before. It meant she wasn’t as closely seated near Sora and Riku anymore, but it also meant it was much easier to pick up conversations with Safu now. Kairi quickly found she was refreshing to talk to, and very definitely knew what she was talking about with their project.

“You’re really smart, aren’t you,” Kairi said halfway through their discussion period.

“My grades are rather high, if that is your standard to define ‘smart’,” Safu said, “but despite my knowledge of the workings of the brain, I’ve been told my own social skills could use some work.”

Kairi snorted. “Seriously? That’s kinda rude.”

“Not really. I have been told this in official examinations.”

“It’s still rude. And inaccurate. You talk to me just fine and you have more friends, right? I see you talking with that boy a lot during breaks.”

And at that, a slight blush appeared on Safu’s cheeks. “Shion… that is to say, he… yes, we’re friends,” she allowed, “but he’s an exception, I suppose. In many ways.”  
Kairi grinned. “Oh, I get it, say no more. Hey, Safu? Want to exchange phone numbers?”

“What? Why?”

Oh, she’d honestly caught her by surprise. “So we can send friendly texts of course,” she said, “and to discuss things for our project. Easier to meet up that way, too.”

Safu considered it. “Alright.”

 

Kairi started texting right that afternoon as soon as she got home. To her surprise, Safu was very fast to reply, her texts carefully typed out, no abbreviations and devoid of emoticons. Kairi had no such qualms and happily explained whatever questions Safu had about her text usage.

They hardly texted about the project. Kairi just asked her how she was doing, teased her a little about Shion, then switched to asking her about movies and shows that Safu admitted she hadn’t seen. Kairi had then launched into a lengthy review of the latest Disney movie, and surprisingly got quite some insightful questions about character motivations in return. Safu might not be a watcher, but she was definitely a thinker.

It wasn’t until ten in the evening Kairi noticed she’d missed five texts from Sora somewhere during that afternoon. Oops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'But Miz what subject is their project even for what is their research topic'  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	3. Friends

It was considerably easier than Safu had foreseen to fall into new patterns. Even though they were no longer in the same class, she still saw Shion regularly during breaks and after school. Shion did spend more and more time with his own classmates, but Safu could surprisingly say the same.

Kairi didn’t stop texting her after that first evening. Their conversations in class still focused on their project, but sometimes more casual talk slipped in and continued in their text messages. It was strangely comforting to come home in the afternoon, start on her school work and have the occasional distraction of a text message, usually consisting of Kairi complaining about the same school work or talking about her friends or a movie she saw.

Friends, hm.

Safu still considered Shion her dearest, closest friend – defining her feelings for him was a strange area. Intellectually, she could define them, classify that fluttering feeling in her stomach whenever she thought of him or was next to him. She realized she was more talkative and more prone to laugh when she was with Shion. It was a foreign task to apply the concepts she’d learnt to herself, however.

Safu also knew Shion thought highly of her, but she wasn’t the only person in his life.

 

After seeing them in the distance, grouping together as if they went years back, Safu was finally formally introduced to Shion’s new friends during a lunch break several weeks into the new school year.

“Safu! This is Nezumi,” he cheerfully said, pulling the slightly taller boy along with him. “He’s my, he’s a – ah. Well, he’s Nezumi.”

“A truly astute statement,” Nezumi said, not sounding in the least impressed by Shion’s less than eloquent introduction.

Safu suppressed a smile and looked up at Nezumi. “It is nice to meet you, Nezumi. My name is Safu.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance.” Nezumi quickly bowed and locked eyes with her, amusement in his expression. “So you’ve put up with His Majesty here since childhood? I’m impressed.”

“He’s good company once you get used to him,” Safu said, the words rolling out before she could stop them. She hadn’t meant to insult Shion. The teasing tone was something she had heard Kairi adopt before when talking about her own friends, and Nezumi had made it clear he would not be bothered by less than flattering phrasing.

Shion flushed. “You two have just met, are you already making fun of me together?”

“Way too easy a target, it can’t be helped.” Nezumi simply shrugged. “Shouldn’t you introduce your other, ah, _friend_?” His tone changed ever so slightly, Safu noticed. The emphasis on ‘friend’ implied Nezumi wasn’t actually all that friendly with whoever it was.

A significantly shorter person appeared from behind them, and Safu blinked several times. “Aren’t we in the same class?”

 “I guess.” The other shrugged. “’m Inukashi, miss class rep.”

“I’m Safu. Nice to meet you properly, Inukashi.” Safu hurried to reach out and shake hands.

“Yeah, uh. Same,” Inukashi said, looking slightly taken aback by her action. “You’re not that bad, are ya.”

“Ah. Thank you, I suppose?”

“Well, y’know, people were talkin’ crap. Knew it was crap the minute they said dogs were stupid, but hey.”

“Inukashi grew up with dogs,” Shion rushed to explain, “so that’s why – wait, are people bad-mouthing Safu?”

“Sure are. And me and you and ratty boy here, for that matter.”

Nezumi pulled a face. “Shut up, mutt lover.”

Safu looked from one to the other and decided right away that they made a peculiar pair. Nevertheless, they didn’t seem to actively dislike each other – their words had no real bite to them. It might have been an iteration of fondness, even.

Shion somehow fit right in with them. Every time Safu looked at him, he would be looking at Nezumi.

It didn’t really feel like she and Shion were growing apart, but it did feel like their feelings towards each other were on different planes. Last time they had spoken, she had known there was someone else on his mind. Now, she also knew who.

 

Safu attempted to ignore the squeezing feeling in her chest, but it appeared she was not doing a good enough job at it as Kairi repeatedly asked if she was alright. Safu confirmed she was, but that didn’t seem to satisfy her.

“Hey, Safu! Want to meet my friends?” she asked out of the blue the next day. Kairi had easily fallen into step next to Safu as they left the classroom. “We’re gonna study together this afternoon, but you’re very welcome to join us.”

“I had promised my grandmother to help her out on chores today,” Safu replied truthfully, “can I take you up on the offer another time?”

“Oh, sure! It’d be nice to have you over.” Kairi broadly smiled. “Ah, you’re not getting out of meeting my friends though, here they are. Sora, Riku!”

She quickly waved over two boys, one with hair that had to defy laws of gravity and physics in general. He was grinning broadly, while his light-haired friend just gave her a reassuring smile.

“Guys, this is Safu from my class. Safu, this is Sora –”  Kairi gestured at the first boy – “and Riku.”

“Oh, Safu!” Sora lit up at the mention of her name. “You’re Shion’s friend, right? He talks about you a lot!”

“You – know Shion?”

“We’re classmates,” Sora cheerfully announced, “we started talking last week, he’s really nice.”  
“Yes.” Safu smiled at the mention. “Yes, he is.”

“Hey, Safu, are you gonna study with us today? Kairi said you’re really smart!”

“Don’t feel forced,” Riku said, speaking up for the first time. He didn’t even flinch, apparently entirely used to Sora’s levels of enthusiasm. “But you’re definitely welcome to join.”  
“I will take you up on the offer next time,” Safu promised, “if you will excuse me for today?”

“Oh sure, no problem! See ya next time, Safu! Have a good evening!”

“Yes, you too,” Safu said, bowing lightly before taking her leave.

It was turning out to be a slightly overwhelming week, but she felt it wasn’t all bad.

 


	4. Confession

After getting used to a new school, new classmates and new teachers, Kairi found that the weeks just flew by. Soon enough her and Safu’s project was finished, well ahead of the deadline thanks to Safu’s meticulous planning and outlines. Kairi had no doubts they were going to ace it, but she was slightly troubled by the fact that Safu didn’t actually have a reason to hang out with her anymore now that the project was dealt with. Kairi really liked her new friend, but she couldn’t quite tell yet if Safu saw her as a friend as well.

Kairi had gotten introduced to Shion a couple of weeks ago, and it was very clear that Safu saw him as someone special at least. Those two went way back, much like Kairi, Sora and Riku did. Safu smiled a lot around Shion and actually teased him on occasion, speaking much more casually than she did even with Kairi.

 

And then on one sunny afternoon during lunch break, Kairi found the two of them near the school gate, away from the gaze of the general student body. Shion seemed uncharacteristically on edge around his friend, despite Safu’s eyes firmly fixed on his. Even from a distance, Kairi could tell that they were discussing something private.

“What’s going on there?” A voice on Kairi’s right suddenly asked, a lot closer than she’d been prepared for. She looked slightly down to find a smirking Inukashi next to her.

“Oh, Inukashi! Hey, how about we have lunch together?”

Inukashi snorted. “’Scuze me?”

“Yes, bond a little, get to know each other more. We’re in the same class, after all.”

 “Eh. Whatever, I guess. Need to eat anyway. Say, you don’t happen to have extra lunch with you, do ya?”

 

It was unexpectedly fun to have lunch with Inukashi, who had quite a sharp tongue and did not seem to be a big fan of Nezumi at all, for as far as Kairi gathered from the ‘darn rat’s. Shion seemed better appreciated, but that was an almost universal truth.

Nevertheless, Kairi was slightly worried when she caught no sign of Safu during the rest of their break. Back in class, Safu took her seat next to her in silence, only offering a tiny smile when Kairi asked her if she was okay. She wasn’t used to big and bright grins from Safu, sure, but it was still concerning.

 

“Safu.” The second she was done packing her bag, Kairi reached out to softly seize her by the arm. “Do you want to talk?” She was using her serious voice, which made Safu look up in surprise at last.

“I… not necessarily.”

“Do you want some company at least? You can say no if you don’t, but I at least wanted to ask.”

She was met with silence for several long seconds, but Safu nodded at last. “Would you mind coming over to my place? I promised my grandmother I would be home in time.”  
“Sure thing!”

 

Despite previous study sessions, it was the first time Kairi was invited over to Safu’s place. All in all, it was a quiet affair. Safu’s grandmother was knitting in the living room, and after a quick introduction Safu led her upstairs to the study. There, she took a deep breath.

“I told Shion my feelings for him,” she then said, looking Kairi straight in the eyes as she did.

_Just as I thought, then_. Kairi swallowed the words before they could form. She knew what the outcome must have been, after all.

Safu continued without being prompted. “I do suppose I could have phrased it better, but regardless, he said he hadn’t considered me as anything but a friend before. He told me to ask him again in two years, after we’ve graduated.” And then, in a clear voice: “What an idiot.”

Kairi choked down her laughter and took Safu’s hands in hers. “I’m going to hug you now, is that okay?”

“Oh. I suppose that would be – nice.”

True to her word, Kairi reeled her in for a full-body hug, her arms firmly wrapped around Safu. To her surprise, Safu held onto her just as tightly, chin leaning on Kairi’s shoulder.

“I think that was very brave of you,” Kairi softly said. “To tell him, I mean. Not a lot of people would have the courage. Clearly he still cares about you a lot, even if it’s not in the same way. But yeah, he’s kind of an idiot for saying that.”

 Safu softly laughed at that and hummed in non-verbal agreement.

 

After that, they slowly untangled themselves and started to talk – truly talk. Over the past weeks Kairi had gotten to know Safu a bit, but they hadn’t really talked this in depth before. Safu talked about living with her grandmother after her own parents passed away when she was too young to truly remember them. Kairi told her how she had been raised by her own grandmother for the first years of her life until she was torn away from her side and moved here to the big city, to live with family she barely knew. Only Sora and Riku really knew that story of her, and only by virtue of being the first and best friends she’d made here.

Which led to the elephant in the room, as the same went for Safu.

“Something happened to Shion when we were twelve,” Safu started, “I don’t know what, he never wanted to tell me. But ever since that time, I have caught him staring off in the distance, thinking of something or someone that wasn’t there, I could tell that much. He was actually the class representative before me, did you know that? But the position got taken away from him, he only just made it to the student council and even that was a hassle to arrange. And yet he doesn’t seem to have any regrets there. He is so strange.”  
Kairi softly smiled at Safu’s sudden talkative mood, which seemed to be directly related to Shion. “And yet you like him, huh.”

“Maybe because of that.” Safu smiled too, slightly ruefully. “I suppose that is not unfamiliar to you, is it?”

“Sorry?”

“Sora.”

Kairi blinked. “I – eh. That’s not…”

“It was easy enough to infer from the way you two interact.” Safu seemed pretty satisfied with her own conclusions. “But it is also clear that you don’t intend to do anything about it.”

“I did say you were brave.” Kairi fidgeted a little. “I have had the chance for sure – Riku has tried to set us up before.”

“He has some masochistic tendencies, does he not?”

Kairi almost choked on her own breath. “Did you seriously just say that?”

“I’m not wrong.”

Safu’s utterly serious face was the final straw – Kairi lost it. She had to seize Safu by her shoulders in order not to double over with laughter.

 

It was very late that night when Kairi eventually had to excuse herself and go home. “I’m glad we hung out today,” she said at the door, “we should do that more often.”

“I agree.” Safu looked straight into her eyes again, a tell-tale sign something serious was coming. “Kairi, I should tell you – I was picked for the special exchange program abroad. I leave in two weeks.”

Kairi blinked once, twice, and realized she had to swallow before she could form her response. “I – of course they picked you,” she eventually said, “that’s – great news, really! How long will you be staying?”

“Several months.”  
“I… I see.” It hurt more than Kairi could have foreseen.

Safu took a deep breath, as apparently she wasn’t done yet. “Can we stay in touch, Kairi? I really do enjoy talking with you.”

“As if you have to ask!” Kairi couldn’t help it, she jumped to embrace Safu quickly. “I’ll send you so many texts you won’t have to miss anything here for a second.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Safu still smiled. “But I appreciate the gesture.”


	5. Abroad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon parallels! -jazz hands-

“See you tomorrow, Safu!”

“Yes, good evening to you.” Safu waved her two classmates goodbye as they parted ways after class. She wouldn’t call them friends yet, but they were people she didn’t mind spending some extra time with.

Being out of her usual environment was quite the change, but the school’s program was nicely challenging and besides…

Her phone beeped the minute she pulled it out, and Safu smiled. She truly didn’t have to miss a second from home. True to her word, Kairi was texting her daily, although she had quickly refrained from sending messages when she knew Safu would be in class without even being told to. Safu suspected it was mostly because she preferred to get a direct answer.

The current message was short and accompanied by a picture.

‘ _Look, Inukashi’s got puppies!!!´_

The accompanying picture was, indeed, that of a basket full of small puppies of undetermined breed. Kairi had easily grown quite friendly with Inukashi, and Safu had found herself taken along more often than not. It was no longer a surprise to see Inukashi surrounded by dogs for that very reason, but a basket full of puppies was a different story.

_‘They look very cute_ ,’ she typed out her reply, ‘ _Is it alright for you to pet them yet?_ ’ Everything about Kairi’s enthusiastic use of punctuation pointed to that being her deepest wish, and indeed, Safu got a reply only seconds later.

‘ _Noooo Kashi wants 2 see how the mom deals first. Soon tho!’_

A second message followed. _‘You should think of names, btw~’_

Names? Oh. Apparently Kairi was suggesting Safu would name some of the little animals, then. ‘ _I will think about it,’_ she confirmed, ‘ _so should you, then._ ’

‘ _No worries! Get home safe ok?’_

‘ _I am returning from school now, I will be at the apartment complex in about twenty minutes. The bus connection is very convenient.’_

_‘Yay! Ttyl then~’_

Safu smiled and put her phone back in her pocket for now. Kairi had also quickly learnt Safu wouldn’t reply while travelling by bus, as she hadn’t gotten used to this model yet and quickly felt nauseated while reading in it.

Just as she patted her pocket to make sure her phone was safe, she felt something sting in her neck. That was odd. It felt like a bug, but it wasn’t the season for them here. Perhaps just a stray twig, then.

 

*

 

The memory of the sting was the first to return when Safu slowly returned from a deep sleep, and it was also the last thing she could remember happening. It still stung, but it was a deeper kind of pain now, throbbing under the surface.

Her eyes felt too heavy to open them yet, but she could feel she was lying now, in what she presumed was a bed. The scent was different, a lingering smell of some kind of disinfectant. That was strange. She was entirely sure it wasn’t in use in her apartment building. Where was she? What had happened to her?

“Oh, good, look at your vital signs – you’re waking up.”

The cold, male voice gave her shivers. “Who…” Safu couldn’t form any more words as her voice cracked, dry and brittle as if it hadn’t been used for days. What was going on?

“Stay calm, it’s alright. You scared us there, Safu.”

That was a female voice, calmer and soothing. Safu relaxed under its sound.

“Can you open your eyes?”

Safu was already trying, but it took a lot of effort. Eventually, she managed to keep them open, even if just slightly at first.

Two people were by her bed. One was the man whose voice had startled her. He was clad in a white coat and leaning over a file he was holding in his hand. The other was a woman, a nurse judging by her outfit, standing right next to Safu’s head and leaning over enough for Safu to discern her facial expression. She seemed concerned, but relieved as well.

“Hello there,” the woman said, “My name is Aria, Safu. I have been watching over you for the last couple of days, it’s good to have you back.”

_How do you know my name?_ Safu wanted to ask. _Why have you been watching over me? Am I in a hospital? I was in good health just before, they made me go through a thorough physical check-up before I was allowed on this trip._

None of the words would come out, but the woman Aria seemed to understand part of them anyway. “You had collapsed near the bus stop. We found your ID, so we tried contacting your family, but they couldn’t make it here due to the distance. A far way from home, aren’t you?” She smiled in what was obviously an attempt to be empathic. “You’re going to be alright now, but we want to run some tests to make sure, and we want to keep you for observation to see how your wound will heal. It’s my understanding you enjoy factual explanations, so if you’re ready for it, just nod.”

Safu did just so.

“There was an insect,” Aria explained, “it appears to be a bee or a wasp of some sort, but none we are familiar with. We had to extract it from your neck, it seems like it was trying to use you as a host. Very peculiar, we haven’t seen anything like it before.”

She gestured at a little glass bottle that was on the bedside table Safu only now noticed. There was a black shape in it, fairly large considering Aria had described it as a bee or a wasp.

“We had to surgically remove it,” Aria finished up her explanation, “so there will be some scarring in your neck. Is there anything you’d like right now? Maybe some water?”

 

Safu received her water, and not much later, she also received her phone. Making calls with it was out of the question, but she should be able to use the texting function to contact her family and friends, Aria had recommended.

Safu decided she quite liked her, especially after she had chased the man in the lab coat out of the room upon noticing how uncomfortable his presence made her. He was apparently her doctor, but Aria had quickly decided Safu was doing well enough to do without his supervision for now.

 

She had missed a lot of calls and messages, Safu quickly noticed. They had piled up over the last two days, which must be how long she had been in the hospital.

Her grandmother had called her, of course. So had Shion, several times – Inukashi, Nezumi, even Sora and Riku once or twice. The biggest bulk was from Kairi, however.

Her text messages got increasingly worried – ‘ _Are u home yet?’ ‘Safu?’  ‘I’m getting a bit scared, it’s okay if you don’t want to reply but just say ‘hi’ or ‘ok’ or smth’, ‘Safu omg I just heard how are you’, ‘please call me asap’, ‘ or text me that’s fine too’._

It was – oddly touching.

It was also the first message chain she replied to.

‘ _Kairi – thank you for your concern. I am awake now, it has been very disorienting. My apologies for not calling you, I hope this text message will do for now. Please do not worry, I was allowed to see my own reports and I will make a full recovery. I will call you as soon as I am able to.’_

Once again, the reply was almost instant.

‘ _So glad to hear from you! Thanks so much for your message, take care okay? Don’t worry about calling, take your time and first make a full recovery!_ ’

Feeling oddly lighter after that response, Safu made her way through the rest of her messages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... okay look I'm sorry but it's still a million times better than No. 6 canon. AT LEAST SAFU LIVES. 
> 
> (That is definitely creeper man in lab coat who gets chased out by the nurse robot that I made human because why the heck not.)


	6. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... well okay, not one promised with a kiss but it's not like Nezumi FRICKING LEFT here in the first place, so. Different kind of reunion!

Today was the day.

Safu’s flight was scheduled to land in half an hour, just as it had been decided months ago when she first took off for the exchange. She had had to miss the last couple of weeks, but thankfully recovered just in time to return as scheduled.

Kairi impatiently tapped her phone screen, waiting in vain for new messages to pop up. Of course there weren’t any: Sora and Riku had a much-needed study weekend, Inukashi was busy with the puppies, and Shion was right behind her with two coffees he’d just bought, probably just as impatient but better at hiding it at least.

He held out one of the drinks. “Here, I got you the special you were eyeing before.”

Kairi gratefully took the cup. “That’s nice of you, thanks. How much do I owe you?”  
Shion shook his head. “No, it’s fine, we’re friends. Where’s Safu’s grandmother, anyway? I wanted to get her something, but I wasn’t sure what she’d like.”

“Restroom. She’s already had three teas, though, so I’m not sure if she’ll take you up on the offer.” Kairi finally put her phone back on the table, knowing that she shouldn’t be expecting more messages and especially not while Safu was still in the air. “Waiting is fine, but it’s been long enough.”

Shion smiled as he pulled back the chair next to Kairi to join her. “You two got really close, didn’t you.”

“Well, we don’t have the history the two of you have, but she’s important to me.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He blew over his drink. “Sora was actually complaining about how much time you spend on your phone these days.”  
Kairi snorted. “Of course he was.”

“He didn’t really mean it, I think.” Shion squinted into his coffee. “Of course, I might be too used to Nezumi’s sarcasm these days. He could have been entirely serious, but I somehow doubt it.”

“Ha, yeah.”

That was the moment Safu’s grandmother returned from the restroom, and Kairi hurried to get up and lead her to a chair.

Twenty minutes left.

 

As Shion next to her was ruffling his own hair a little self-consciously, Kairi bounced back and forth on her feet, constantly scanning the crowd that was now slowly dripping into the hall. This must be Safu’s flight, so she should be coming out any minute now…

Ah, there, right behind a tall guy with two-colored hair.  
“Safu! Over here!”

“Kairi?”

The first thing she caught was the surprised look on Safu’s face; next, the white bandage still decorating her neck. It caught the eye, and Kairi made sure to be careful as she skipped forward to tackle Safu into a hug, looping her arms around her shoulder blades instead. “You’re back!”

“Evidently.” Safu sounded more shocked than anything, and only hesitantly dared to return Kairi’s hug at first before she squeezed her a little tighter. “I wasn’t expecting you here.”  
“I told you I would be!”

“You also mentioned a study weekend with Sora and Riku.”

“Yeah, well, I’m smarter than them, they need it more than me.” Holding Safu an arm’s length from her, Kairi grinned brightly. “It’s so good to have you back. Ah, but there’s more people here wanting to welcome you home, sorry.”

 One step aside and it was Safu’s grandmother to greet her granddaughter. “Welcome back, Safu,” she said in a gentle voice. With equal gentleness, she took a thin, pink scarf from her bag and carefully draped it around Safu’s neck. The bandage was effectively covered.

“Thank you, grandmother,” Safu said, seizing her hands for a short moment.

She turned to meet Shion next. As expected, her eyes grew wider as she gave him a once-over. “Your hair has turned white,” she said, both a statement and a question.

“Ah, yes – happened just after you… well.” Shion shrugged. “It’s a long story.”

“Hm.” Safu pursed her lips as she studied him, almost on the verge of making a comment by the way her mouth twitched. “It suits you.”

“Thanks.” Shion smiled and opened his arms to her.

It was a warm hug between friends, Kairi noted, feeling a slight sting as she witnessed it but not enough to quench the happiness. Safu’s texts had made it clear she missed Shion, and she had every right to – she must be thrilled to be reunited with him.

And yet, it was to Kairi’s side that Safu returned once all were greeted properly and they turned towards the train station to go back home. “Thank you for coming to pick me up,” Safu said, “that was very nice of you. I hope you don’t mind having to leave your friends behind.”

“You’re my friend too,” Kairi stated, seizing Safu’s hand in hers to make her point. “And I was really worried about you, actually. I wanted to see you in person right away to make sure you were alright.”

Safu blinked in surprise. “I’m fine,” she said, “I did tell you. It will scar, but that is the only permanent mark that incident will leave. Well, and a thorough research on the insect that bit me.”

“Ah. Right.” It had been relatively easy to forget what exactly had caused Safu’s hospitalization, but she was so blasé about it that it was almost creepy. “That was – are you okay? No newly acquired phobia for bugs?”

“I do have nightmares,” Safu said, sounding so neutral she might as well be talking about the weather. “But I expect those to decrease now. My brain is trying to cope with my experiences during the day, so naturally, the hospital experiences have made it into my unconscious as well. Now that I’m in a familiar environment again, I suspect it will dwindle down.”

“I sure hope so.” Kairi squeezed her hand. “Hey, wanna see the puppies today? Kashi was busy, but it should be alright to pop in later.”

“That would be nice.” There was a sparkle in Safu’s eyes, but it might also have been caused by the fact she was looking at Shion’s back as she said that.

It was just because she wanted to make sure Safu was alright, Kairi told herself as she drew her a bit closer to her. Just reassurance, nothing else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shion's story is so long you ain't gonna hear it in this fic, huhu.  
> (I did actually sort of plan it out. But that's for later stories within the No. 6 high school AU. Not that this one sticks to that timeline very much but ssh just don't look too closely.)


	7. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aka that chapter where I decided to just use dreams in order to convey that AU of my [current No. 6/Kingdom Hearts crossover](http://archiveofourown.org/series/316754) that I might one day write, but am certainly too lazy for to do so now. Whoops.

Safu had nightmares, just as she had told Kairi the day of her return.

Of course, this wasn’t anything exceptional. Everyone had nightmares on occasion, more so as they fell asleep in the early morning. She knew for a fact that Shion and Nezumi recently suffered quite intense ones from time to time, too.  

The ones Safu got were reoccurring and left her with a draining feeling of loneliness. They had started after the infection. That in itself had hardly left any marks on her: there was a very small scar where the insect had initially bit her, but it was usually covered up with her collars and easily camouflaged should she feel the need to. It didn’t personally bother her. The nightmares however…

 

But then they had started to change.

The dreams had always been strangely consistent, despite the premise having seemingly no grounds in her daily life, which was more common with her nightmares.

A seemingly utopian city, slowly starting to crack underneath the surface and Safu getting caught up in it. Shion was there too, and Nezumi and Inukashi, but Safu always got separated from them. She was kidnapped, and taken and experimented on, and a giant insect would appear near the end. Safu usually woke up from those dreams with her face pressed in the pillow and her hands against her ears, trying to block her senses.

Lately however, she was no longer alone. Kairi had started to appear in those nightmares, mirroring the way she had appeared in Safu’s life: little by little, her presence gradually increasing until Safu noticed how much time she truly spent with Kairi.

Her presence made the dreams a little less nightmare and a little more normal dream. Kairi would seize her hand and drag her away before she could be kidnapped, or save her from a burning building before things got worse. They would wander destroyed streets and meet Inukashi, and together they set out to save Shion and Nezumi from whatever horrors the dream had decided to put them through that night. In one specifically memorable dream, Kairi had pulled out a strange key-shaped weapon to hold off shadowy creatures, protecting Safu and Inukashi from whatever harm they were trying to do.

It was strange. Safu knew she was dreaming, powerless to do anything about it, but the new presence was getting comfortable. Their environment was dangerous, the situation urgent and hazardous, but people were by her side. Inukashi had their backs, usually even bore a shield; Kairi stormed into battle, impulsive and determined to save their friends the way Safu had gotten to know her and admired her. Safu used every skill she knew herself to possess, and some she knew with certainly only existed in the dream realm – sometimes she would run, leap and bound, sometimes she was wielding magic. But she was always part of a team, part of something bigger, and more and more often, the nightmare would fade into something better when they managed to rescue the boys and Kairi would seize her hand in victory.

Always Kairi, never Inukashi, Safu noted once she started to truly analyze her dreams. They had been reoccurring so often that she felt it might help her to give them a closer examination, but it just left her in confusion. She understood why all these people showed up in her dreams. Naturally she would know them: the human brain wasn’t capable of coming up with completely new faces or environments on its own. But why was Kairi’s presence consistently the strongest of them all? It was that sensation that lingered once Safu woke up. Not Shion, not Nezumi or Inukashi or even Sora and Riku, who sometimes showed up as well. Just Kairi.

 

Eventually the nightmares faded almost entirely. Safu was left with Kairi’s presence in the real world, and frankly, it was very comfortable.

Perhaps that was the most confusing conclusion of all.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah man keyshaped weapons and shadowy enemies ridiculous right hah haaa ha h a  
> Next thing a talking duck and dog show up or something pfff
> 
> (For the record, the AU of that crossover involves Kairi, Safu and Inukashi teaming up as a keyblade wielder/magician/defender trio. Don't get me started because I'm fairly sure I've worked that out better than the actual crossover at this point. It also messes with No. 6 canon so much that I can no longer call it a crossover but rather an AU, so I'm refraining from actually writing it for now.)


	8. Boys

“Can we talk after class today, Shion?”

Shion’s eyes widened in surprise at her request, but he nodded. “Sure. I’ll tell Nezumi to go home without me, then.”

“It’s fine, I don’t expect it to take very long. There are just some thoughts I would like to bounce off on you.” Safu looked up to catch his gaze, finding the fluttering feeling in her stomach no longer present. “Can we meet near the gate?”

“Of course.”

 

Safu had long finished the assignment due for her final class today, so she was left out early. That was a happy coincidence. It meant leaving Kairi behind for now, but this was something she could simply not discuss with her present.

 Shion joined her not much later as he had promised, Nezumi following right behind him and raising his eyebrow when Shion turned to tell him something.

“About time,” Safu heard him mutter as he passed her and raised his hand in greeting. She idly wondered how much he suspected: Nezumi was very sharp. It was one of the reasons he was easier to get along with than she had anticipated, especially as of late.

Right now, she was left alone with Shion, who took the empty spot next to her. “So what did you want to talk about, Safu?”

“What are your feelings towards Nezumi?” The words were out before she realized, and judging by the frown Shion gave her in return, she suspected her actual question did not come through. “I suppose I phrased that wrong. Again.” She smiled wryly at the memory of her first confession to Shion. “What I actually want to bounce off of you is not truly related to Nezumi. It is just… the way you interact? And to the best of my knowledge, you’re both of the same gender.” She stopped there, not wanting to assume more than what Shion was comfortable telling her. He had never been one to keep anything from her, but they had spent time apart, they had both experienced very different things.

“Safu.” Shion gave her a kind smile. “It’s fine, I think I get it. Nezumi and I – well, I can only speak for my own feelings, of course, but what you were insinuating is correct. He’s a very important person to me. I was drawn in by those grey eyes of his, and he taught me so much. I learnt a lot about myself, about the world in a way the classroom never would have. He’s not perfect, but neither am I. We learnt a lot about each other, I think, and about ourselves, and we…”

“Shion.” She was glad he was happy, but there were limits. Fortunately, her stare fixed Shion down and rewarded her with a sheepish grin.

“Right. I guess what I’m saying is… Safu, this is about Kairi, isn’t it?”

_It would have been nice if you had been this observant a year or so ago,_ Safu couldn’t help thinking. Then again, that had concerned Shion himself. “Perhaps,” she allowed, feeling her cheeks warm up as she prepared to put her feelings into words once and for all. “It’s… peculiar. I am familiar to the fondness I feel for you, and I know I love you. I told you that back then, I still feel it right now. But I am starting to suspect my feelings are now more in line with what you told me back then.”

“Friendship?”

“My dearest friend,” Safu agreed, “that will never change.”

“I’m glad.” Without warning, Shion pulled her into a hug, one she welcomed and answered right away. “You’re my dearest friend too, Safu. Honestly, I couldn’t bear to think of losing you, but – I think I can share.”

Safu leaned back a little just in time to catch the grin Shion was sporting. “You got cheekier.”

“And you got more talkative, not just with me.”

Safu smiled. “I do suppose people change, hm.”

 

*

 

Kairi leaned back against the lockers, staring at Riku as he loaded his books into his bag in preparation to go home. It was just the two of them for now: Sora was being held back for something or another (probably yet another sports team trying to get him to join) and Safu, surprisingly, had told her to join up later instead of straight after class.

“He’s taking his time, huh.”

“Someone’s impatient,” Riku said with a smile, stuffing his last book in his bag and zipping it up.

“Want to talk to him about something.” She pondered her own words. “Actually, I’m starting to think you might be the better person to talk to in this case.”

Riku almost dropped his bag in surprise. “Wait, what? You’re not going to tell Sora that…”

“Riku.” Kairi rolled her eyes as dramatically as she could manage. “You can stop that, I told you so before. Besides, last time I asked you what you thought about Sora as a friend, you went on this hour-long ramble about how hard it is _not_ to smile around him and how he’s the best teacher you could ever have. I should have recorded it for the next time you dare call Sora the sappy one.”

“Thanks Kairi, you’re a real pal.”

She chuckled. “I do try. But hey, so are you,” she added with a gentle nudge to his side. “Y’know, never mind. I think I have my answer already.”

That didn’t do anything to solve the confusion on Riku’s side, but Kairi had just witnessed the way his face lit up when Sora finally joined them, grinning widely.

“Guys, guess what!”

 

In all honesty, she hadn't expected to see Safu that day anymore. Hoped for it, sure, but she had been so determined in telling Kairi not to wait for her that it seemed unlikely. And thus, Kairi almost dropped her phone in surprise when she suddenly got a message anyway.

_‘Should you still like to meet up, we can meet now. My grandmother likes your company too.’_

Safu had stopped signing her messages with her name a while back at Kairi’s insistence. ‘I know who you are, silly! We text all the time, I’ve got your number saved and everything!’ And of course, the writing style was instantly recognizable.

Kairi positively beamed as she rushed to type out her reply.

‘ _Yes of course!  I'll be over asap, see you in a bit!’_

Too eager? Probably. She also didn't care.

 

Though she had meant to ask the question right away, the topic slightly shifted after saying hello to Safu’s grandmother and retreating to the study. Kairi wasn't entirely  sure what to expect, but it wasn’t for Safu to sit her down and tell her – well, this.

“Shion has told me he’s in a relationship with Nezumi now.”

Kairi softly smiled. “Has he, now.”

“He didn’t use the exact words, but the implication was very clear.”

Safu obviously felt the need to talk about this, right now, and thus Kairi let her. Even though it caused a squeezing feeling in her heart that she tried her best to ignore. “About time, hm.”

“I figured the same.” Safu idly traced a line in the table. “It is strange, though. As you said, it wasn’t a big surprise, I have seen it coming for a good while. I just… assumed I would be more affected by the time it became reality.”

“Really?” She had Kairi’s interest now. “How come?”

“Well, I… I want Shion to be happy, of course I do,” she said, “but it hurt to know how my feelings for him would never be returned in the same way. Now I know that for sure, and it’s honestly like… like this is the right way. It doesn’t hurt, not anymore. I thought this would be the worst part, but I’m – relieved?”

Kairi’s smile grew a little wider, her heart a little lighter. “You got over him, then.”

“I suppose so. I didn’t even realize it.”

“That’s the best way, I guess. Gradually growing out of it rather than getting your heart broken.” Kairi leaned back over her chair, pondering the ceiling. “Guess that’s what we get for growing up with those boys for best friends, hm.”

Safu blinked a couple of times, but she connected the dots. “Sora?”

“Yeah.” Kairi hadn’t really told her how that had developed, but it only figured that Safu had realized it anyway. “He’s a great guy, I’m glad to call him my friend. I still love him, of course – Riku too. Just not like that. We grew up together, I guess people kind of expected us to get together at some point, ourselves included. It just… didn’t happen. I guess if you’d asked a year ago, my answer would have been different, but people change.”

Safu gave her a knowing smile. “They do indeed.”

“And well, there’s all kinds of love,” Kairi concluded, fiercely hoping she didn’t come off too nonchalantly as she leant back up a little so she could look Safu in the eyes. This was probably a good moment. “Hey, I actually meant to ask you something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -smashes fists on table- LET SAFU HAVE HER HUG WITH SHION AND GIVE THEM CLOSURE DARN IT


	9. Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Date to Disneysea! -jazz hands-  
> ... for the record, this entire fic is supposed to be set in Tokyo but I've deliberately been super vague about it.

“You are _nervous_ ,” Sora said, sounding rather giddy with his discovery as he gently bumped her shoulder with his.

Kairi just huffed and zipped her bag as aggressively as she could without breaking it, just to make her point. “Oh shush, you. Just because you’re the one going with someone you’ve known your whole life.”

“We’re all going together, if you wanna be technical about it.” Sora’s good mood was as indestructible as ever. “It’s cute. You really like her, huh.”

“Ugh, I do.” She sighed. “I can’t even say yet if it’s a very good or bad thing Inukashi couldn’t make it with us.”

“Something tells me Inukashi backed out for a reason other than puppies,” Riku now spoke up behind her, leaning over a little to hand Sora his ticket. “Here you go, don’t lose it again.”

“Ha, thanks Riku.” Standing on his tiptoes, Sora was quick to wrap his arm around him. “Guess you’re just gonna have to stick with me the whole day, hmm.”

“You sap.”

Kairi coughed at that. “Riku?” She drew out his name, using the most sickeningly-sweet voice she could muster.

It was effective to say the least, judging by the slight blush that quickly spread over his face. Sora, of course, remained oblivious.

“What’s going – oh hey, Riku! Look at that statue!”

“What sta…”

“Come on, let’s check it out!”

And just like that, Kairi was left on her own, while Sora dragged Riku deeper into the station to find whatever statue had caught his interest so much that it was more important than waiting for his friends at the agreed waiting spot.

“Figures,” she mumbled to himself. She honestly wondered at this point how much she’d even see of them in the park.

“Kairi?”

Her heart jumped in surprise – Safu was right behind her, leaning in curiously and with a hesitant smile. “I apologize, I appear to be early.”

“No no, Sora just got all excited puppy over something again and ran the other way for a bit,” Kairi hurried to explain, “we’re here already. I’m so glad you wanted to come!”

“I do admit I’m very curious,” Safu said, smile growing a little wider. “It’s my first time at a real theme park despite living fairly close. Just one transfer from here, correct?”

“Yep!” Kairi seized both of her hands. “It’s gonna be great, I can’t wait to show you around!”

“Amaze me, then.” There was a mischievous glint in Safu’s eyes, and Kairi allowed herself to hope. Technically the only thing she’d really said was ‘I have extra tickets, do you want to come with me?’, but the fact that Safu had so readily agreed and only asked questions later had made her happy enough. Small steps.

 

By the time Sora and Riku rejoined them, Shion and Nezumi had found them already and they were only just in time to catch the train they had originally planned to. All was fine, however, even if Kairi ended up being all but squished against Safu’s side in the last two available seats. Or well, maybe because of that, just a little.

 

They had to squeeze their way through at least three clubs of high school students, all tall and most of them extremely excitable, to finally make it through the entrance and the giant globe in the middle of the plaza (“Welcome to Disneysea!” Sora had exclaimed in excitement, while Nezumi just grumbled something and told him to move along already). Safu had managed to unfold the map she’d picked up at the ticket counter and was studying it much like her school books.

“You’re not gonna get a test on this, you know,” Kairi teasingly said, but Safu just squinted at the map.

“I am simply preparing myself,” she said, “some of these attractions sound rather dangerous.”  
“Hm.” If it was her first time in a theme park, maybe it wasn’t the greatest idea to drag Safu into all the wild rides right away. Not that Kairi minded. She’d gone more often, usually with Sora and Riku, and at least the former was very, very fond of every single ride that caught his eye. “I kinda know my way here, so you can just stick with me. Ehm. If you want to.”

Safu blinked in surprise. “I was under the impression you had invited me specifically so that we could spend today in each other’s company, actually. Was I wrong?”

 _Oh._ “Nah, you weren’t.” Kairi grinned in relief. “Didn’t want to assume, that’s all. Hey, so maybe Tower of Terror isn’t the best way to start the day. I have a better idea.”

 

Somewhere on their way to the shops, Kairi had tentatively seized Safu’s hand and laced their fingers together. Safu simply looked at her, gave her a kind smile and squeezed her hand as she followed her into the nearest shop.

“Purple looks great on you,” Kairi decided, to which Safu inexplicably blushed almost instantly and stuttered a ‘thank you’. Kairi quickly decided _that_ looked good on her, too. She got Safu the purple cape she’d  been eyeing.

 

They did, indeed, end up spending most of the day together. Though they met up with the four boys for some attractions, they tended to break off in pairs and go their own respective ways a lot.

Safu didn’t really let go of her hand anymore unless needed, and even initiated a couple of times. Kairi decided to test her luck and suggested the flying carpets next. It was a relatively calm ride, and she knew for sure they’d be seated together in it.

As the attraction pulled up, Kairi shifted a little closer than strictly necessary. She had learnt that a direct approach might be the better option sometimes, but she didn’t want to push anything, just quietly explore the borders of their current friendship.

Safu looked up with a smile and leaned in just a little more. “Thank you for today,” she said, her words almost getting lost in the wind. They were just close enough for Kairi to still catch them. “I wasn’t expecting it would be this fun. It’s been a while since I enjoyed myself this much.”

“And we haven’t even gone on any of the really wild rides yet,” Kairi said with a grin. She was only half-joking.

“This outing is already pretty wild for me,” Safu deadpanned.

Kairi didn’t even bother to choke back her laughter, and it took all but two seconds for Safu to join her. She leaned in as closely as the attraction allowed her, her head resting against Kairi’s shoulder from then on.

Definitely a good kind of nervousness, Kairi decided, very carefully brushing the strands of hair from Safu’s face.

 

The day flew by after that, Safu only once leaving her side to have a heart-to-heart with Shion. Kairi had to admit she gave into a feeling of possessiveness just enough to wrap her arm around Safu and gently lead her away, but she didn’t mind. In fact, Safu smiled a little brighter at her than she had at Shion before, and happily took her up on her offer to get on the magic carpets again.

It was, all in all, a very nice day. It was a nice evening when they settled in together to watch the fireworks, Safu carefully draping her cape to cover the both of them and shield Kairi from the cold wind picking up.

It was still a nice evening when they took the train back at last, Kairi falling asleep against Safu’s shoulder and waking up at their stop with Safu leaning on her, too.

“Walk you home?” Kairi softly offered, to which Safu just nodded.

 

 “Kairi.” Safu had stopped at her doorstep, giving her a once-over before looking away from Kairi’s direct stare. She seemed pretty nervous. “I really had a very nice time today.”

“I’m glad. And hey, me too!”

“Ehm, actually.” She did look up now. “The Sumidagawa fireworks festival is coming up soon. I was wondering – would you like to go there with me?”

Kairi’s thoughts screeched to a halt. “I – you’re asking just me?”

“Well, I suppose everyone will be there,” Safu reconsidered, “in the years before I usually went with Shion, and I guess he will go again this year. But yes, I am asking you. I would like the two of us to go together, not as a part of a bigger group like today. I am sure our friends will be there too, but you’re the person I want to go with.”

It was way more straightforward than Kairi had dared to be when she’d invited Safu for Disneysea today. It was also undeniably exactly how Safu would phrase it, and it rather delighted her.

“Yes,” she said, as it was the only answer she could give. “Yes, I’d really like that too.”

Safu squeezed her hand one final time before heading inside and softly closing the front door behind her, leaving Kairi alone with her thoughts. Currently they mostly went ‘oh gosh oh gosh oh _gosh_ ’, as Kairi hid her face behind her hands in quiet joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were already guessing I sneaked in a Haikyuu cameo with the reunion chapter (yeah that was supposed to be Bokuto), I definitely did so here. For the record, I didn't actually write much of the time in Disneysea nor did I make those cameos explicit, because I've [already written almost 9k of that](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4498911) because I'm ridiculous.
> 
> (They're probably departing from Ikebukuro station because that's my own experience and because of the statue thing. I mean. Did you know it has a owl statue called Ikefukuro? I'm still SO ANNOYED.)


	10. Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penultimate chapter! Well final one really, next one is the epilogue.

 

When she had invited Kairi, Safu had had certain things in mind for the day.

The most mundane was probably the visit to the temple complex in the area, which she had seen several times before. She was sure Kairi had too by now, despite her still fairly recent move. It was a popular place after all.

Safu wanted to return the favor from Disneysea. She wanted to spoil Kairi a little in return, get her something nice and enjoy the day together. She was fairly certain by now that Kairi had invited her for the same reason, perhaps to go on a date together. It had oddly been Inukashi who had put that idea in her head. A quick question of ‘so how was your triple date’ was all it took for Safu to analyze the outing, and she found it to be an accurate description.

So the matter at hand was simple – invite Kairi on an outing too, just the two of them. Watch fireworks together again. She’d even suggested they’d wear yukata, curious to see how Kairi would wear one.

It had however sounded much simpler than it was in practice.

First of all, they were decidedly not the only people to visit the temple complex that day. Of course she’d known it would be busy. Safu just hadn’t expected to lose Kairi in the crowd within mere minutes, looking for a nice food stable.

Kairi didn’t reply to her texts or even to her phone call, which Safu could have expected due to the overall business around them. It would be easy enough to miss the sounds.

And thus, Safu carefully navigated her way through the crowd, quietly amazed by how quickly Kairi had managed to disappear entirely. She came across a food stable where one girl had hoarded at least five rice balls and was in the process of devouring them all; she bumped into a short, blonde girl who let out a squeak in surprise and proceeded to apologize profusely while Safu was the one not minding her steps; she even spotted Inukashi in the distance, who appeared to have teamed up with a stranger in a top hat on a pale-haired boy who was definitely not Shion or Riku.

Stumbling across stranger upon stranger, Safu was relieved to finally spot a familiar head of red hair.

“Kairi?” She hesitated for a short second to grab the other girl’s arm, but that was just as well for she had turned around now.

Blue eyes were looking curiously at her indeed, but they were definitely not Kairi’s. “Not quite,” the girl said, “lost your friend?”

“Yes,” Safu admitted, feeling rather embarrassed for it.

The girl just grinned. “Ah, it happens, there’s like a million people here. Lost track of my own friends too, though knowing _those_ two they’re probably nerding out over the temples.”

“They are very interesting, I imagine.”

“Oh yeah, very possibly. Wake me up when they’re done reciting the entire history.”

Safu couldn’t suppress a smile at the ease at which this girl picked up a conversation with a stranger. That, at least, reminded her of the girl she was actually looking for. But the other went her own way again, and Safu was left by herself.

“Safu!”

She looked up quickly, finally meeting the pair of eyes she’d been looking for. Kairi was right behind her, her eyes shimmering bright. “Found the cutest little souvenir stable, wanna come and check it out? They’re selling dango right next to it, too.”

 

Kairi seemed to be enjoying herself thoroughly, which was good. For Safu, the crowd was a bit much, but her most primary goal had been accomplished at least.

The afternoon was spent at various food stables, catching up with all of their friends also roaming the place, and finally settling for a good spot to watch the fireworks, well in time before they would start. Kairi gleefully produced two home-made bento boxes for them to have for dinner.

Together they watched the sun set, its last rays reflecting on the water. The weather was lovely, the skies were clear – for now.

A soft rumble in distance indicated that was about to change.

“It’s starting,” Kairi whispered excitedly, settling in a little closer.

 

Safu was quick to realize she couldn’t keep her eyes on the fireworks exploding over the river. They were certainly pretty, objectively, but… Somehow she was much more fascinated by the way Kairi’s eyes lit up next to her, the lights reflecting in her eyes and a genuine expression of wonder and joy spreading across her face. She looked so different in her yukata, her hair tied up. She was a study in pinks and blues, soft tones in her yukata and obi that complimented her eyes. Safu was used to seeing Kairi in their school uniform or her shorts or skirts, no matter the weather. This was so very different. Safu idly wondered how well she knew Kairi by now, the various sides to her. Though it was abundantly clear how close Kairi was to her childhood friends, it sometimes felt Safu had become just as important to her. That realization made her strangely nervous.

Right that moment, Kairi caught her glare. She offered Safu a bright smile and mouthed something, but the noise of the fireworks drowned out whatever her words were. Safu was about to ask for a repeat when Kairi’s soft hand slipped into hers, more carefully than before. Oh.

This must be the expression ‘actions speak louder than words’ that Shion seemed so fond of lately.

Safu tried focusing on the fireworks again, but it had somehow gotten even harder now with Kairi’s hand in hers. And so, she gave an experimental squeeze, only to receive one in return. An extra reward came in Kairi looking at her again, smile still bright and reflected in her eyes. Safu couldn’t find any motivation to look elsewhere anymore, though she felt the rush in her cheeks that signaled she was possibly blushing. The feeling wasn’t quite embarrassment, however.

Her heart was beating faster, the nervous feeling increased. Safu had felt like this before, once, but she hadn’t expected to feel it again soon, or at all. She certainly hadn’t been expecting Kairi. Then again, she hadn’t been expecting Kairi in her life in any way before she came along. It would frankly be painful to miss her now.

She felt the sudden urge to do something about it, to let Kairi know. Last time she had felt similar, she had tried to express herself in words, which hadn’t gone so well. Instead, she now leant into Kairi enough to press a gentle kiss against her cheek. The way Kairi’s eyes opened wider in surprise were worth it alone.

“…fu?” The fireworks were silent for long enough to only draw out the first part of her name.

“I like you.” It was a simple statement, maybe didn’t cover everything she felt, but it did the trick in combination with her action.

She barely had the chance to take in Kairi’s reaction before she was swept up in a warm hug, catching a whiff of Kairi’s perfume that reminded her of the sea. Slightly hesitantly, Safu wrapped her arms around Kairi in return, turning the one-sided hug into a proper one. It was – nice. Very nice.

“I like you too,” came Kairi’s voice, slightly rough and close to her ear and mere moments before the fireworks started again.

Afterwards, Safu could barely remember how they made it back to her place. She was fairly sure they had stuck around for most of the fireworks, and that the train back had been very busy as expected. She mostly remembered the warmth of Kairi’s embrace, the rush of happiness at hearing the words in return.

She was honestly a little overwhelmed. Though Kairi had never been very shy about physical contact, it was a different matter to realize it was okay to initiate, that hugs and handholding could take on a different meaning now than friendship. That along with their own strong connections to other people that had been in place for years, they now also had a connection between the two of them that was confirmed and spoken.

What a strange, yet wonderful feeling.

 

*

 

 “Hey, Safu.” Kairi’s hand easily slid into hers, and she laced their fingers together to give her a soft squeeze.

“Yes?”

“You’re going to university after high school, right?”

“Provided I get accepted into one of the universities I have applied for, yes.”

“Of course you will.” Kairi’s hair brushed against Safu’s cheek as she leant on her shoulder. “I’m going to do my best too. There’s a program abroad I was thinking of applying for.”

Her tone was casual, but Safu could hear the slightest tremble that betrayed she was nervous before she noted Kairi’s hand tensing up inside hers. Her own chest felt weirdly constricted all of a sudden. “You should go for it,” she said, her voice slow and soft so that Kairi would hopefully not realize her own tension.

“Hm. I will.” She pressed a quick peck on Safu’s cheekbone. “We’ll be fine, right?”

“Right.”

And she truly, utterly believed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a fireworks chapter and I didn't even pull a Nozaki GASP.  
> I did, however, technically pull a quadruple crossover since I threw in some Haikyuu cameos again as well as from Tales of Zestiria. I did warn you this was the most self-indulgent thing I've ever written, right?
> 
> Ahhh and here we go with the pun in the title. Fireworks is _hanabi_ in Japanese, written as 'fire flowers'.  
> ... okay that's just me saying 'I was too lazy to come up with a proper title, so I defaulted to KOKIA and they have flowers on their yukata so close enough', but sssh.


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK but please consider: Safu with glasses.

Safu shoved her reading glasses up her nose a little more to focus on the text in front of her just as her thoughts got interrupted by the door bell. It was slightly aggravating, especially since she didn’t expect any visitors and still had this paper due for next week. She was writing the conclusion tonight, but still needed the time to revise the result several times before she was certain about handing it in.

When the door bell rang again, she got up anyway, though not before carefully marking the page of the definition she wanted to recheck.

The bell was halfway through the second ring when Safu opened the door, ready to chastise her impatient guest until she saw who it was. “Kairi?”

“Safu!” Kairi was beaming at her and only allowed for about half a second for Safu to take her in before throwing her arms around her. “I’m back!”

“I noticed, yes.” Safu was quick to wrap her arms around her in return, feeling Kairi’s answering chuckle resonating against her. Something was slightly different from the last time, she realized. “Have you grown taller?”

“Just a bit, but be sure to rub it in when you talk to Sora.” Kairi seized her shoulders and softly pushed her aside just enough so that they could share a look. “You didn’t tell me you got glasses!”

“It’s only for reading. It didn’t feel significant enough to share.”

“Well, they suit you,” Kairi said, tilting her head ever so slightly as if to take in her appearance even more. “And you grew out your hair too, though I did notice that of course.”

“It’s easier to tie it up now,” Safu explained, carefully reaching her hand out to stroke Kairi’s cheek. “I hadn’t realized you tanned easily.”  
“Some months under the sun will do that to you, I guess.” Kairi’s grin was blinding. “It’s great to be home, though.”

 “And it’s great to have you back.” Safu studied her face, taking her in now that they were finally face to face again. “How long this time?”

“Ah, there’s the surprise.” Kairi excitedly hopped to her feet, gestured at herself with a raised thumb. “Guess who took a page from a certain someone’s book and studied so hard she graduated from the program early?”

Safu’s eyes grew wide. “You’re done? You’re staying?”

“Yep! Next time I go there it will be with you – oomph.”

Safu had taken her cue to tackle Kairi into a hug, one of the full-body bone-crushing ones the other girl was usually known for. “I’m glad,” she softly said. “And I’m so proud of you.”

“Couldn’t have done it without your support.” Kairi gently guided her to go sit on the couch, refusing to let go of her for the moment. “I mean that. Of course it helped a lot that you wanted to proofread my thesis for me, but all our calls, your mails…”

“Of course.” Safu happily sighed. “I suppose Sora and Riku will be delighted to have you back, too. Inukashi and Shion and likely Nezumi as well.”

“Hm,” Kairi hummed. “I’ll see them later. For now, I’m here.”

“Yes. Yes, you are.” Safu closed her eyes and smiled. “I guess I have never thanked you properly.”

“For what, exactly?”

“For taking that seat next to me, all those years ago.”

It took Kairi a couple of seconds to get it, but when she did, she laughed out loud, the sound wonderfully familiar and infectious. Her voice was warm and full of affection when she spoke up next. “You are very, very welcome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THEN THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER BECAUSE I SAY SO OKAY SHUSH.
> 
> ... look, at least this still beats Safu's canon fate by a long shot. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me through all of this if you're actually reading this! I honestly wasn't going to ship this for real, but I kept finding more parallels and they're the brain and the heart of their respective stories (literally huhu) and it just. Worked surprisingly well so I decided to go all the way and write a multi-chaptered fic for them.  
> I tried to make some canon parallels for Safu at least, especially since I do intend to continue the high school AU along similar lines. Not sure if this fic will fit into that AU, but Shion's hair does change color and him and Nezumi do go through some shit. And of course, so does Safu, just not as much as in canon.   
> (Also no grandmas die here we're not having any of that nonsense.) 
> 
> ...Look, I just wanted to write cute girls dealing with their feelings and growing together and growing closer and just. Sorry have these 12k words and let me live.  
> I kinda did rush it in order to finish before June 12, so I can't promise I am entirely done with this ship. ... Who am I kidding, I'm not. OH WELL. Thanks for sticking with me!

**Author's Note:**

> ... I published this and noticed I still used the working title. Which is a KOKIA song.  
>  ANYWAY KOKIA IS GREAT SO WHO CARES. 
> 
> (Full song title is 'Yasashiku sareru to yasashiku nareru hana', which means 'a flower can become kind when it is treated with tenderness'. It is also an awful pun for the last chapter, you'll see.)


End file.
